GAMMA RAY — No World Order (review)

GAMMA RAY — No World Order album cover Album · 2001 · Power Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
Kingcrimsonprog
2001's No World Order was the legendary German Power Metal band Gamma Ray's seventh full-length studio album. After two Sci-Fi themed concept albums, the band returned to the set-of-songs formula, with fantasy lyrics and themes covered like on their earlier records.

The music is explosive and bombastic on a grand scale, and in combination with the production, it jumps out of the speakers perhaps the most of any Gamma Ray album. It's a really great example of both the band and the genre. They lean a little more heavily on the thrash component of their sound this time around, while still retaining their Queen influence, progressive attitudes and neo-classical components in smaller doses, so its one of the most aggressive and hard hitting records the band have put out.

A lot of fans hail this record as one of the band's best, and its certainly a damn fine record, a great example of melodic, thrashy Power Metal. If you like virtuosic guitar work, lots of harmonies, big choral backing vocals, shrieking high pitched Heavy Metal vocals and pounding double-kick filled drumming then it's a great example.

Standout tracks include `Solid,' `Dethrone Tyranny' and `Heart Of The Unicorn.' They have a sense of urgency and are a mixture of impressive serious Metal and great cheesy fun.

Admittedly, some fans criticize the band for running out of ideas and recycling old Gamma Ray and Helloween riffs and vocal patterns, as well as taking suspiciously direct Judas Priest influences (specifically `Painkiller' and `Metal Meltdown') and suggest that the album is the start of a period of decline.

Personally, in this instance I don't mind the repetition of old material too much at all, since it is done so well. They may take familiar sounds, but they rework them, and they're only one part of a song that's great on its own anyway.

Overall; The guitar solos are brilliant, the choruses are memorable and the riffs and drumming are driving, heavy and energetic. This is a really entertaining record and as long as you haven't overdosed on its formula before hand, should still be of a high enough quality to excuse that one issue.
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